The demand for miniaturization of electronic components and electronic devices has significantly increased heat flux requirements to maintain the temperature of the components at low enough levels to prevent their failure. To effectuate the removal of heat from an electronic component and/or electronic device it is conventional to attach a heat dissipating apparatus, e.g., a heat sink and/or a heat pipe module, to a surface of the component or electronic device and/or to affix a heat spreader to the heat source. A conventional heat sink consists of a conductive base member for removing heat from the electronic component by thermal heat conduction and appropriate hardware to effectuate the transfer of heat removed by conduction into the atmosphere typically by means of convection and radiation. The hardware for transferring heat typically employs fins and may include a fan to improve heat transfer by convection.
A heat spreader is a heat dissipating conductive member which may be used in combination with a heat sink for removing heat from an electronic component and/or electronic device.
Further improvements to heat transfer have been achieved by the use of a compliant interface material of high thermal conductivity placed between the heat source and heat sink to accommodate for imperfections and gaps which invariably are present between these surfaces. However, these improvements are not, of themselves, sufficient to satisfy the present and future heat flux requirements of miniaturized microelectronic components. Although heat transfer can be yet further increased by application of high pressure between the heat sink hardware and the heat source the application of high pressure is detrimental in that it causes undesirable stresses.